Aladar pacz



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALADAR PACZ, 01E CLEVELAND, 01-110, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC .GOMPANY, A

CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

METHOD O1 PRODUCING ALLOYS.

Ho Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALADAR PAoz, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cleve.- land, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio,have invented a new and useful Method of Producing Alloys, of which thefollowing is a specification.

'My invention relates to the production of alloys and more particularlyto the production of steel alloys containing-tungsten, molybdenum,vanadium, chromium and other metals which serve to improve theproperties of the steel for special purposes, tools, armor-plate, etc.The object of my invention is to produce an alloy having a much moreuniform and intimate combination of the constituent metals than anyheretofore produced. 1

According to my invention I mix very intimately with the alloy metals acompound or mixture of compounds which is acid. with respect to theoxides of the constituent, alloy metals. That is to say the compoundsare such as will unite with such oxides of the alloy metals as may bepresent when these metals are fused together, It is generally morefeasible to intimately mix this compound or compounds with one or moreof the metals constituting a comparatively small percentage of thealloy, such as the tungsten, molybdenum, vanadium and others, which areordinarily alloyed with steel and to add the combination to a moltenbath of the other metals.

Among the compounds which may be used singly or in combination in theproduction of alloys according to my invention are silicic acid, titanicacid, vanadic acid, niobic acid and tantalic acid. Boric acid may alsobe used singly or preferably in combination with any one or more of thefirst mentioned materials, for the reason that the best results aresecured when the'added material has a higher fusing point than has theboric acid. The material used in any particular case should be acid withrespect to the oxide of at least one of the constituent alloy metalsand, preferably with respect to all.

The intimate association of the acid material with one or more of thealloy metals is highly desirable. This may be secured by firstprecipitating a compound or mixture of tungstic acid, for example, withsilicic acid and a terwards reducing to the metal I Specification ofLetters Patent.

Application filed April 5, 1917.

Patented Jan. 3, 1922.

Serial No. 159,926.

tungsten impregnated with silica. While this is the preferred method,excellent results may also be obtained by mechanically mixing thesematerials, as by ball milling.

The results which are obtained through my invention are probably capableof explanation by various theories, both physical and chemical. However,the explanation which seems to be most plausible is that the acidmaterial causes a purification of the metals with which it is associatedand this purification takes place just at the time when the alloyingtakes place. The result is the elimination ofv oxides and a more perfectunion of the constituent alloy metals. The slag formed by thecombination of the acid material with these. oxides will rise to thesurface of the molten bath and may be reremoved.

A specific example of my invention is the production of a superiorquality of high speed steel. In two instances I have added to about 150parts, by weight, of steel hav ing therein small percentages of chromiumand vanadium which are generally used for high speed steel, about. 21parts of a mixture containing substantially 98% tungsten and 2% silica.The silica was incorporated with the tungsten in the manner described inPacz application, Serial No. M9915, filed February 20, 1917. Thisapplication describes the production of tungsten and at one stagethereof is formed a pressed slug or briquette of finely divided tungstenhaving silica interspersed therein. Slugs of this kind may be added tothe molten steel and there is less chance of oxidation of the tungstenthan if an unagglomerated mixture were added. However, good results maybe obtained by adding the intimately mixed powder. In another instance Ihave added to about 150 pounds of steel 21 pounds of a mixturecontaining 95% tungsten and 5% silica. The products thus derived weregiven the usual heat treatment, which consists in first annealing,forging down to shape and then hardening the tool by heat ing to about1300 C. and quenching quickly in oil or air blast. In both cases thecross section of the steel when broken had an appearance quite differentthan that of other high speed steels.

I have found that my invention permits the incorporation of a,considerably higher percentage of carbon with the steel than heretoforewithout destroying the workability thereof. More tungsten may beincorporated with the same percentage carbon.

It is to be understood that the intimate mixing of the silica or otheracid material with the various metals comprehends not only the chemicalmethod described in the Pacz application hereinbefore referred to butalso thorough mechanical mixing.

What I claim is:

1. The method of producing alloys which consists in intimately mixingwith one or more of the allow metals a material which is acid withrespect to the oxide of at least one of the alloy metals and adding thecombination to a molten bath of the other metal or metals.

2. The method of producing alloys which consists in bringing togetherunder fusing conditions two or more metals, at least one of which isintimately mixed with a material which is acid with respect to the oxideof at least one of these metals.

3. The method of producing alloy steel which consists in adding to abath of molten steel an alloying metal with which is intimately mixed amaterial acid with respect to the oxide of said metal.

4. The method of producing alloy steel which consists in adding to abath of molten steel an alloying metal with which is intimately mixed amaterial acid with respect to iron oxide.

5. The method of producing alloy steel which consists in adding to abath of molten steel an alloying metal with which is intimately mixed amaterial acid with respect to iron oxide and oxide of said metal.

6. The method of producing alloy steel which consists in adding to abath of molten steel tungsten with which is intimately mixed a materialacid with respect thereto.

7. The method of producing alloy steel which consists in adding to amolten steel bath tungsten intimately mixed with silica.

8. The method of producing alloys which consists in adding to a moltenbath of one or more metals a briquette containing one or more of thealloy metals intimatel mixed with a material acid with respect to t eoxide of at least one of the said metals.

'9. The method of producing alloy steel which consists in adding to abath of molten steel a briquette consisting of a metal ordinarily usedin alloy steels intimately mixed with a material acid with respect tothe oxide of said metal.

10. The method of producing alloy steel which consists in adding to abath of molten steel a briquette containing a metal ordinarily used forproducing alloy steels and intimately mixed with silica.

11. The method of producing high speed steel which consists in adding toa molten steel bath a briquette containing one or more of the metalsordinarily used to produce high speed steel intimately mixed withsilica.

ALADAR PACZ.

Witnesses:

J. H. Ammnsox, JOHN E. Run.

